Tenth generation (FC)
2016 Honda Civic
The most reported problem on the 2016 Honda Civic is sticky steering, with 354 complaints, usually around 40,000 miles.
- 1,081owner complaints
- 5recalls
- 36involved a crash
- 34,000median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 27, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your Civic doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2016 model year.
Is the 2016 Honda Civic reliable?
The 2016 Honda Civic has 1,081 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, 4.7 times the median of 232 for 2016 sedans on this site. Of the 13 Civic model years since 2014, it has the most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2017
- At 98 complaints for each year on the road, the 2016 runs above the 2017 (60). That's the only adjacent model year with enough complaints to set beside it.
- Top problem
- Sticky steering leads with 354 of the 1,081 complaints (33%), ahead of A/C failure at 214. A quarter of the 124 owners who gave a mileage for sticky steering saw it by about 26,000 miles, and half by about 40,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 43 of the 1,081 complaints (4%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, a little under the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 36 reports mention a crash, 4 mention a fire and 16 people were hurt. The most crash reports, 13 of 36, fall under airbag.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- No recall on file is on the same system as sticky steering, brake wear and power steering loss. For those, the complaints are all there is.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2019 at 144 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 101. So far in 2026, 76 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks, 354 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
1,081 complaints is 4.3 times the median 2016 model on this site and 4.7 times the median 2016 sedan. Among the 13 Civic model years here it ranks 1st for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2016 Honda Civic
Honda filed 323 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2016 Honda Civic. 37 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 11 bulletins · 214 complaints
American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. This warranty extension only covers vehicles that have a defective A/C condenser from the factory.
Due to supplier process concerns, the A/C compressor may not have been manufactured to specifications. As a result, abnormal wearing of the rubber seal may occur causing gaps in the compressor shaft to develop allowing refrigerant to leak out.
9 more on this problem
We have identified a potential concern with GUIDE, AC COMP SEAL 07AAG-5AAA100, which was a part of 6CVC SEAL REPLACEMENT KIT, 07AAC-5AAA1Z0 that was recently sent to all Honda dealers.
Customers have complained of the air conditioning system not blowing cold air due to the oil/refrigerant leak from the A/C compressor main shaft seal.
This bulletin is replaced by S/B 19-033, Warranty Extension: 2016-18 Civic 1.5L: Software Update with A/C Control Unit Replacement; DTC P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, or P0172; Whirling Noise from Engine.
Owner Notification Letter - On some 2016-21 Civic models, the A/C condenser may leak refrigerant. American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2020 Civics with a customer complaint of the A/C inop or blowing warm air.
We've noticed an unprecedented demand for A/C compressors which at times has created a backorder situation. The majority of the compressors returned were analyzed and proven leak free.
Owner Notification Letter - This warranty only covers vehicles that have a defective air conditioning condenser installed at the factory. The A/C condenser was not manufactured to specification.
Today, August 9, 2019, American Honda is announcing a warranty extension for certain 2016-18 Civic vehicles. This warranty extension covers the A/C condenser to address concerns of leaking refrigerant.
TECHLINE SUMMARY ARTICLE WERE GETTING REPORTS OF THE A/C NOT BLOWING COLD AIR. FROM THEIR BASIC CHECKS, SERVICE TECHS ARE NOTICING THERES REFRIGERANT OIL ON THE RADIATOR FAN SHROUD AND SURROUNDING AREAS, INDICATING A LEAK.
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 12 bulletins · 48 complaints
There is a problem with the audio unit software, which may lead to one or both of the following symptoms: ⢠Rear camera is stuck on in Park. ⢠Rear camera image does not display when transmission is shifted to Reverse.
There is a problem with the audio unit software, which may lead to one or more of the following symptoms: ⢠Bluetooth® Audio skips. ⢠There is no sound from Apple CarPlay⢠after connecting Bluetooth®, then USB. ⢠Cannot turn on Bluetooth®.
10 more on this problem
The audio-navigation unit screen randomly flickers for 2 seconds or 10 seconds. The message Requested Channel Not Available appears when selecting a SiriusXM Radio preset.
The audio-navigation unit screen randomly flickers for 2 seconds or 10 seconds. Preset Sirius/XM channels are not available. There is an issue within the current software.
Bluetooth® HandsFreelink® (HFl) system freezes after a phone call and stored voice tags are missing when the ignition is turned ON. Some audio units are not updated to the latest software version.
Tech line summary article - You may get a customer with any of these Apple CarPlay or Android Auto concerns: ? The phone won't connect to the feature. ? The feature disconnects. ? A Device not found or Device not compatible message appears.
The audio unit display goes blank, then returns to normal operation within a second. The audio unit display has an internal hardware problem.
Service bullletin - The audio unit display blinks or flickers. The audio unit display has an internal hardware problem.
TECHLINE SUMMARY ARTICLE SOME CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED THAT WHEN PLUGGING THEIR IPHONES WITH IOS 10 INTO THE USB PORT AND SELECTING PANDORA FROM APPLE CARPLAY, PANDORA WONT PLAY.
SERVICE BULLETIN THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE AUDIO UNIT SOFTWARE, WHICH MAY LEAD TO ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: BLUETOOTH® AUDIO SKIPS. AUDIO ICON DOES NOT WORK. GPS ERROR CODE 1302 SETS. ERROR MESSAGE SXM CHECK TUNER APPEARS.
SERVICE BULLETIN JUNE 3, 2016 UPDATE. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE AUDIO UNIT SOFTWARE, WHICH MAY LEAD TO PROBLEMS WITH BLUETOOTH, GPS, REAR CAMERA SYSTEM AND OTHER AUDIO UNIT RELATED FUNCTIONS. A SOFTWARE UPDATE IS AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THESE CONDITIONS.
SERVICE NEWS ARTICLE IF THE DISPLAY AUDIO (DA) SCREEN HAS DISPLAY-RELATED PROBLEMS, THEYRE COMING FROM THE CENTER DISPLAY ASSEMBLY, NOT THE AUDIO UNIT OR AUDIO-NAVIGATION UNIT.
Engine stalls or loses power while driving 4 bulletins · 39 complaints
On Friday, January 29, 2016, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. notified NHTSA of a stop sale and safety recall for certain 2016 Civic vehicles due to potentially missing or mis-set piston pin snap rings that may cause engine stall or failure.
DEALER MESSAGE ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016, AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC. NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A STOP SALE AND SAFETY RECALL FOR CERTAIN 2016 CIVIC VEHICLES DUE TO POTENTIALLY MISSING OR MIS-SET PISTON PIN SNAP RINGS THAT MAY CAUSE ENGINE STALL OR FAILURE.
2 more on this problem
DEALER MESSAGE ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016, AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC. NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A STOP SALE AND SAFETY RECALL FOR APPROXIMATELY 34,000 2016 CIVIC VEHICLES DUE TO POTENTIALLY MISSING OR MIS-SET PISTON PIN SNAP RINGS THAT MAY CAUSE ENGINE STALL OR FAILURE.
DEALER MESSAGE ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016, AMERICAN HONDA NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A STOP SALE AND SAFETY RECALL FOR APPROXIMATELY 34,000 2016 CIVIC VEHICLES DUE TO POTENTIALLY MISSING OR MIS-SET PISTON PIN SNAP RINGS THAT MAY CAUSE ENGINE STALL OR FAILURE.
Airbag warning light or recall 1 bulletin · 28 complaints
THIS COMMUNICATION IS INFORMING HONDA OF A DELAMINATION ISSUES WITHIN AN I.C. PRODUCED BY NXP AND ASSEMBLED INTO AIRBAG SENSOR SUPPLIED BY DENSO INTERNATIONAL AMERICA, INC.
Tail lights or brake lights fail 1 bulletin · 19 complaints
DEALER MESSAGE IS THE HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT DETACHED FROM THE REAR WINDOW? WERE AWARE OF THIS CONCERN AND HAVE IT UNDER INVESTIGATION. IT APPEARS TO BE HEAT RELATED AND REAPPLYING THE ADHESIVE JUST PROVIDES A TEMPORARY FIX.
Paint peels or body rusts 2 bulletins · 18 complaints
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is investigating certain 2016-2019 Civics with a customer complaint of paint peel on the C-pillar, in the area adjacent to the rear window.
DEALER MESSAGE AMERICAN HONDA (AHM) IS INVESTIGATING CERTAIN 2016 4-DOOR CIVICS WITH A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT OF THE REAR BUMPERS PEELING ALONG THE EDGE WHERE IT MEETS THE FENDER NEAR THE WHEEL WELL.
Check engine light or misfire 4 bulletins · 14 complaints
Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire, and/or DTCs P0300 thru P0304 stored.
Under certain circumstances, the vehicle may experience driveability issues, which may result in DTCs P0300 (random misfire detected), P0301 (No. 1 cylinder misfire detected), P0302 (No. 2 cylinder misfire detected), P0303 (No. 3 cylinder misfire detected), ...
2 more on this problem
Owner Notification Letter - Some 2016-18 Civic vehicles equipped with the 1.5 liter turbocharged engine may experience driveability issues.
SERVICE BULLETIN BECAUSE OF CERTAIN KNOCK SENSOR CHARACTERISTICS, THE PCM MISINTERPRETS THE SENSORS SIGNALS AND SETS DTC P0326. UPDATE THE PGM-FI SOFTWARE TO REMEDY THIS CONDITION.
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 2 bulletins · 13 complaints
SERVICE BULLETIN A SMALL NUMBER OF ENGINES WERE PRODUCED WITH PISTON PIN SNAP RINGS THAT MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY SEATED. IF THE SNAP RING IS NOT COMPLETELY SEATED, THE PISTON PIN CAN MOVE FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION IN THE PISTON, RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE.
SERVICE BULLETIN AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY HAVE ENGINES WITH A MISSET OR MISSING PISTON RING. AN UNSECURED PISTON CAN RESULT IN A SEIZED ENGINE.
Complaints filed by year
144 complaints came in 2019, 2.3 times the year before. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
Recalls that include the 2016 Honda Civic
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Civic two door and four door 1.5L turbo and 2.0L vehicles. The electric parking brake (EPB) may not engage if it is applied immediately after turning the ignition off.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software to allow the EPB to engage immediately after the ignition is turned off, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC6.
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2016 Civic 2-Door vehicles manufactured February 23, 2016, through May 20, 2016. The affected vehicles may have a damaged LED side marker light circuit board inside the taillight assembly, making the marker light inoperable. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Assoc. Equipment."
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect both the taillight assemblies, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KB8.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Civic vehicles manufactured September 22, 2015, to February 3, 2016 and equipped with 2.0L engines. The affected vehicles have engines with piston assemblies that may have been manufactured without a piston wrist pin circlip or with an incorrectly installed piston wrist pin circlip.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the piston assemblies and damaged engine components, as necessary, free of charge. Parts are expected to be available in the Summer of 2016. Owners were mailed an interim notification beginning March 31, 2016, and will be mailed a second notice when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JX9.
All 5 recalls on the 2016 Honda Civic, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
Guide Buying one used? How to research one car’s history before you pay
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2016 Honda Civic?
Sticky steering, with 354 of the 1,081 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 40,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2016 Honda Civic problems start?
Of the 504 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 16,000 miles and half by about 34,000.
Is the 2016 Honda Civic better or worse than the 2017?
Counted per year on the road, the 2016 has more complaints than the 2017: 98 a year against 60.
How many 2016 Honda Civic complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
43 of them (4%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for sticky steering on the 2016 Honda Civic?
No recall on file for the 2016 Honda Civic is on the same system as sticky steering. Another recall may still cover your car, so check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.